RXYZYXR – LMNTS

Considered(at least by me) to be the unofficial heirs to Meshuggah, RXYZYXR have finally released a full length album titled “LMNTS“, containing some strong tracks previously released by the band on Youtube, as well as a healthy amount of fresh new math metal material – and they have some really interesting un-metal cover art for this album. Take a look:

Listening to “LMNTS“, I was initially drawn to the tracks I already knew from before, such as “Denial of Death” and “Machine Hearts, Machine Minds“(previously titled “Orgazmic Ceiling”). In general, these work great just as before, but I must say I actually prefer the older Youtube versions – it feels like some mid-high frequencies got lost in the process of mixing\mastering, making me miss that RXYZYXR easy to recognize, organic sound. Still, “Denial of Death” is probably the guys’ best song and is highly worth checking out:

Of course, to understand the album as a whole you must hear the new material as it connects with the older tracks. These come together real great, much due to the album’s concept that, to be blunt, says: wake the f*ck up! Now there’s a good idea! The lyrics of course put it in more poetic fashion, and while at first looking as plain anti-religion ideas( “Multiverse” ,”Trancendal Needs“), these change & develop over the course of “LMNTS“, showcasing some real idealism, maturity and progressive thought regarding our society, our planet and how we manage those.

Following another intro, at track 6 is the excellent Meshuggah-of-a-track, “Polar Knights“, that opens with a classic quote: “In a decaying society, art must reflect decay”(Ernst Fischer?). The guys have certainly nailed it concept-wise, and have a few more quotes they integrate into their lyrics, strengthening the content of the songs(“The dark night of the world’s soul” is a good twist.. ). Of the new material, I find “The Things” and “We Dominate” to be the best tracks, possessing a rhythmical flow that’s intricate but very fluid, and putting the lyrics aside for a second, isn’t that what RXYZYXR are all about? hell yeah.

To sum it up, “LMNTS” has a lot of what you could call “personality”. From a purely sonic viewpoint, the tracks are a bit of a hit and miss, but when the guys hit their sweet spot you can feel something unique is going on. Definitely a strong release, and one that’s unafraid to present the listener with some harsh truths. The band manages to be heavy without the so-called “must have” overbearing technical nonsense that other albums in the genre suffer from having. RXYZYXR should be standing firm among the bigger names in Prog\Djent, and I look forward to hear more material from them in the future. If you want to hear the entire album and form your own opinion of it, just head to their official Bandcamp page.